Glorious Good Fats: Why You Need Them, How to Get Them
I’m sure you’ve heard of “good” fats and “bad” fats… and yes, they're a real thing! However in this context, “good” unfortunately doesn’t mean delicious…think bacon grease, dripping hamburger juice, butter... the list goes on. While they may taste good, they’re actually considered “bad” fats, and the more of them you ingest, the more you have to counteract their deleterious effects on your body with exercise, diet and counterbalancing “good” fats. Fortunately, Omega-3 fatty acids are very much on the list of good fats, and relatively easy to incorporate into your diet. But the problem is that your body cannot produce the Omega-3s it needs on its own. So, you'll have to turn to specific healthy foods or supplements to get your fix and stay healthy.
Not surprisingly, if you are more suited to standard Western-style foods, you probably are not getting sufficient Omega-3 fats in your diet. Before telling you about why you need it and the best way to get it, let's talk about the main types of Omega-3 fats.
Types of Omega-3 Fats
In the Omega-3 family, you will find many other fatty acids. But EPA, DHA, and ALA happen to be the most essential.
● Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
You will mostly find EPA in fish oil, fish, and other seafood. It performs a plethora of important functions which aid in the formation of eicosanoids (signaling molecules). EPA is effective in managing some mental conditions like depression and can reduce inflammation.
● Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
Mostly occurring in algae, fish oils, fish, and other seafood, DHA forms a very important part of cell membrane structure. You’ll find it in your brain and nerve cells. The human brain contains some polyunsaturated fats and DHA constitutes up to 40% of that.
● Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)
This Omega-3 fatty acid is mostly gotten from some plant foods that have high-fat content. These plants include walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseed among others. ALA does not do much in the human body and you shouldn't bank on it as your principal source of Omega-3. This is because your body mostly uses it as an energy source.
The Immense Health Benefits of Omega-3s
Do you really need Omega-3 fatty acids? The answer is yes! Omega-3s have potential health benefits that should make you interested in it. So here’s why you should start eating more of it:
● Fight Disease
These essential fatty acids benefit your heart in positive ways. They help to prevent blood vessel inflammation and reduce the risk of abnormal heart rhythms. Taking Omega-3s protects your blood vessels from the buildup of plaque and helps lower your triglyceride levels.
● Heart Disease
Omega-3s can also provide your heart with adequate protection if you experience a heart attack. If you have heart disease, it will interest you to know that there is an EPA + DHA recommendation of 1 gram daily by the American Heart Association. Apart from oily fish, your doctor could also ask you to use fish oil capsules.
● Heart Rhythm Stabilization
These essential fatty acids can help prevent abnormal heart rhythms and lower your heart rate. Its effect helps to stabilize the heart.
● High Blood Pressure
If you’re battling high blood pressure, Omega-3s may be of help. You can start by reducing your intake of red meat and eating more fish. Don't forget to limit your salt intake, so you'll have to stay away from salty fish. Your doctor will also recommend that you avoid eating too much salt.
● Stroke
Taking Omega-3 supplements and eating Omega-3 rich foods can curb the build-up of plaque inside blood vessels, enhancing blood flow. Blocked arteries and blood clots caused by plaque buildup are known to cause stroke.
Best Sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Apart from the benefits discussed above, there are other ways in which Omega-3 fatty acids impact your health positively. In this section, we will show you two main sources to get your daily supply of Omega-3s. These two sources are fish and Omega-3 supplements.
Fish
EPA and DHA Omega-3 fatty acids are best sourced from fish or fish oil. But you'll find that some fish supply a much higher dose when compared to others. Two servings of fish per week is recommended by the American Heart Association. So, you can consume flaked fish (3/4 cups) or cooked fish (3.5 ounces). Your best choices are tuna, anchovies, sardines, lake trout, herring, mackerel, and salmon.
Omega-3 Supplements
Not everyone likes to eat fish that often, whether because the taste isn’t appealing, it isn’t convenient, or because they’re worried about mercury and other toxic substances that sadly pollute our waters. If this applies to you, consider taking Omega-3 supplements. It would make sense to consult your doctor for advice on how to use supplements but the general upper limit is 1 gram daily. That's because consuming Omega-3s in very high doses can put you at an increased risk of bleeding or interfere with your drugs.
Try Omega-3 supplements from Hyrbal
Omega-3 fatty acids should be a regular part of your everyday life. We all want to have well-functioning brains, eyes, and joints. And who wouldn't want to have a heart that is healthy and strong?
As you already know, having a steady supply of good fats boosts your health. While Omega-3s are healthy, it can be hard to keep up with the recommended fatty fish intake every week. If that's a problem for you, we've got you covered with Hyrbal's Protect!
We created our fish oil with you in mind. That’s because we want you to develop and adopt the habit of ingesting fish oil so you can gain numerous health benefits. Yet, you shouldn't just take any fish oil supplement you find on the market. Most fish oil sources cannot be verified and there's no guarantee that they come with EPA and DHA in the right ratio. Using such oils only deprives the body of essential supplements.
Hyrbal’s Protect Omega-3 fish oil supplements come in softgel capsules that contain the vital fatty acids up to 720mg. Taking our fish oil supplement covers your daily requirement. Like other products in our collection, Protect is third-party tested to ensure it is pure and free of contaminants and heavy metals.
You can take our convenient softgel capsules whenever you want. However, our recommendation is to take it just before bedtime. Order Hyrbal’s Protect so you never have to deprive your body of its Omega-3 needs again.*